Inflatable structure



July 4, 1951 w. w. cUsHMAN 2,990,837

INFLATABLE STRUCTURE Filed March 26, 1959 Walton, WCUs/mazz BY 6m,

ATTORNEY United States PatentO 2,990,837 INFLATABLE STRUCTURE I WaltonW. Cushman, Webb City, Mo. (6428 Lumar Drive, SE., Washington 2 2,D.'C`.) Filed Mar. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 802,270 i Claims. (Cl. 13S-1)(Granted under Title '35, U.S. Code (1952), sec. 266) an inflatablestructure having an upright Iwall formed from tube-like air-inflatedsections or compartments stacked one upon another and having means atspaced intervals y throughout at least a portion of its height to resistoutward expansion when inated and maintain a straight, or substantiallystraight, wall line.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a knock down,easily constructed inflatable building or structure of the foregoingnature having a straight upright circular or annular wall and anon-inated flat roof, and one having removable means to maintain theupright wall straight.

Another object is to provide a structure as aforesaid which is capableof being erected or constructed on uneven ground surfaces whilemaintaining its Wall straight and upright.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide an inllatable structurein which the roof thereof is a separate unit and is heldin position bythe inflation of the upright wall; another object being to provide aninflatable structure which, when dellated, is capable of being storedllat to conserve storage space.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention willappear from the following description and appended claims whenconsidered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming a partof this specification ,wherein like reference characters designatecorresponding parts in the several views.

In said drawing:

l FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an inflatable structureembodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top planview of the same;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the 4-door openingand door inthe upright wall of the inflatable structure;

Y FIG. 4 is an enlarged section taken substantially along lthe line 4-4of FIG. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

- FIG. `5 is an enlarged scale vertical section taken substantiallyalong the line 5--5 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a view, partly broken away, and in enlarged vertical section,showing the wall structure only partially inated; and' 1 FIG. 7 is anenlarged fragmentary vertical section showing the overhanging portionsvof the roof sheet or unit overlapping the entire wall throughout itsheight and extending beneath the lowermost wall tube, section, orchamber.

Before explaining in detail the present invention, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited in its application to thedetails of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various |ways. Itis to be understood also that the phraseology or terminology not oflimitation, and it is not intended to limit the invenlCe tion claimedherein beyond the requirements of the prior art.

One embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. l and 2,wherein the inflatable structure is in the form of a round or circularbuilding 9 having a straight upright wall 10 and a flat roof 11. A dooropening is provided in the wall and a pair of doors 12 are employed toclose the opening. As seen in the top plan view of FIG. 2, the wall maybe provided with door openings in opposite sides, closed by doors 12.While the structure 9 is shown as being round or circular, it can, ofcourse, take other shapes.

As best seen in FIG. 5, the upright wall 10 comprises a base tube-likemember 13 which is completely lled with water ballast through a valveassembly 114. The tube member 13 is contained Within the lowermostcompartment 15 of the wall. This compartment and those superimposedabove it are formed from a length or sheet of 'flexible fabric 16 whichis liquid, air and gas tight and which is folded once and has itslongitudinal edges folded in and secured together at 17. The foldedsheet has its opposite walls connected together in spaced relationshipby means of a plurality of perforate webs or partitions 18 to provide,in effect, a series of superimposed or stacked individual compartments19. The perforate partitions 18 provide means for intercommunicationbetween all compartments 19 withV the exception of the lowermost 15which contains the water-lled tube 113. All of the intercommunicatingchambers or compartments 19 are airinilated through one or more valveassemblies 20. After partial ination of the tubes or compartments 19,thev exible roof sheet or member 11 is' laid over the upper edge 'or topof Wall 10. Further ination will, not only erect the wall but will liftthe roof into place with the roof sheet 11 stretched taut and having itsmarginal edge portions 11a overlapping the outer face of at least thetop `inated member or compartment 19, as sho-wn in FIG. 5, withoutrequiring inside air pressure, so to do.

It is, of course, highly desirable to have the wall 10, when inflated,extend upright in a straight line. To accomplish this, I prefer toprovide a series' of encircling cables 21 which are located at thejuncture of each pair of stacked compartments 19 and at the points ofconnection of the partitions 18 with the spaced portions of wallformingfabric sheet 16. By encircling the wall 10 with the cables, outwardexpansion is resisted and a straight upright, preferably vertical wall,is maintained. It is to be noted that the top cable 21 engages andsecures the overlapping marginal edge portions 11a of the roof sheet 11to the wal1'10, FIG. 5.

The upright wall 10 may be provided with one, two, or more door openingshaving either single or double doors, such as shown -at 12 in FIGS. l, 2and 3. One of the door openings is shown somewhat in detail in FIGS. 3and 4.

The door frame, as shown, consists of a top or upper channel -member 22and side upright channel members 23. The channels 23 are both providedwith spaced hollow projections or bosses 24 which extend outward fromVmembers 22, 23, are not continuously circular but are formed of properlengths to t over the bosses 24 and cooperate with the framing for thedoor openings. Thus, the structure for attaching the tubes to the doorframes is one of maximum simplicity and provides for a minimum ofstress. e

In FIG. 7, the roof sheet 11 is made ilarge enough to overlap the entireheight of wall and also underlie the lowermost compartment 19. The wallcovering portions of the sheet are shown at 11b and the underlyingportion at 11C.

FIG. 6 shows the wall 10 before its compartments 19 are fully inflated;without the water ballast in the tube 13 of the lowermost compartment15; and without the roof sheet 11 in place.

It will be understood that the wall unit 10 may be fabricated in anyconvenient and desirable manner, it being formed from a series ofstacked tube-like intercommunicating compartments made possibleby'dividing the whole wall chamber into a series of individual chambersby the perforate dividers or partitions 18.

It is to be understood also that the water ,ballast in the lowermosttube or compartment serves to hold the Structure on the ground and topermit its erection on uneven ground. The water ballast cannot move tothe low side since the tube is completely lled with it.

I claim:

l. In a at top circular inatable structure, the combination of acircular upright flexible .wall formed from a plurality of tube-likemembers stacked one upon another and in communication one with the otherwith exception of the lowermost member, said lowermost member containingwater and all of the tube-like members above the lowermost member beingair-inhatcd at a relatively high pressure, valve means for inating thetubelike members, a door opening in said upright wall, a rigid top framemember `and two cooperating rigid side frame members defining saidopening, said rigid side frame members having spaced bosses forreceiving and supporting the opposite ends of a plurality of theair-inflated tube-like members, means for releasably `clamping saidopposite ends to said spaced bosses, a door or doors for closing the`door opening, a flexible sheet-like roof member engaging the top of theupright wall and overlapping at least a portion of the outer surface ofsaid wall, and a series of cables encircling the upright wall atpredetermined spaced points to maintain said wall straight by resistingits outward expansion under inflation, at least one of said encirclingcables engaging the overlapping portion of the roof member to maintainthe same in place.

2. An intia'table structure according to claim 1, wherein theoverlapping portions of the roof member extend to the bottom of theupright Wall and underlap the lowermost water-containing tube-likemember, and wherein a plurality of said cables engage the overlappingportions of said roof member at spaced points vertically of the uprightwall to maintain said portions in wall-covering relationship.

3. In a at top circular inatable structure, the combination of acircular upright flexible wall formed from a plurality of tube-likemembers stacked one upon another and in communication one with the otherwith the exception of the lowermost member, said lowermost membercontaining water and all of the tube-like members above the lowermostmember being air-inflated at a relatively high pressure, valve means forinating the tube-like members, a door opening in said upright wall, atop and two side frame members defining said opening, hollow stud-likemembers associated with the side frame members for receiving andsupporting the opposite ends of a plurality of the air-inflatedtube-like members, said lowermost water-filled tube-like member and saidtubelike members above the top frame member being continuous throughoutthe circumference of the circular upright wall, the intermediateair-lled tube-like members being of shorter lengths and having theiropposite ends in seating contact with said hollow stud-like members,band-like clamps for sealingl'y holding the intermediate tube-likemembers to said hollow stud-like members, a

exible sheet-like roof member engaging the top of the upright Wall andoverlapping at least a portion of the outer surface of said wall, and aseries of cables encircling the upright wall at spaced points tomaintain said wall straight by resisting its outward expansion underinflation, at least one of said encircling cables engaging theoverlapping portion of the roof member to maintain the same in place.

4. In a -at top circular inliatable structure, the combination of acircular upright flexible wall formed from a plurality of tube-likemembers stacked one upon another and in communication one with the otherwith the exception of the lowermost member, said lowermost membercontaining water and all of the tube-like members above the lowermostmember being air-inflated at a relatively high pressure, -valve meansfor inliating the tubelike members, a door opening in said upright wall,a top and two side frame members defining said Opening, hollow stub-likemembers associated with the side frame members for receiving andsupporting the opposite ends of a plurality of the air-inflatedtube-like members, said lowermost water-filled tube-'like member andsaid tubelike members above the top frame member being continuousthroughout the circumference of the circular upright wall, theintermediate air-filled tube-like members being of shorter lengths andhaving their opposite ends in seating contact with said hollow stud-likemembers, band-like clamps for sealingly `holding the intermediatetube-like members to said hollow stud-like members, a flexiblesheet-like roof member engaging the top of the upright wall andoverlapping the outer surface of said wall and having a portionunderlying said lowermost tube-like member, and a series of cablesencircling the upright Wall and engaging the sheet-like roof member atspaced points to maintain said wall straight by resisting its outwardexpansion under iniiation and to maintain said roof member in place overthe outer surface of said wall.

5 A liat top inatable structure having an annular upright `flexible wallformed from a plurality of tube-like members stacked one upon anotherand in communication one with the other with the exception of thelowermost member, said lowermost member containing ballast and all ofthe tube-like members above the lowermost member being air-inflated,valve means for iniiating the tube-like members, said upright exiblewall having a door opening formed therein, a rigid top frame member andtwo cooperating rigid upright side frame members defining said dooropening, said rigid upright side frame members having means forreceiving and supporting the opposite ends of a plurality of theair-inflated tube-like members, a door for closing the door opening, aiiexible sheet-like roof member engaging the top of the annular uprightiiexible wall and overlapping at least a portion of the outer surface ofsaid wall, and a plurality of cables encircling the annular upright wallat spaced points to maintain said wall straight by resisting its outwardexpansion under ination, at least one of said encircling cables engagingthe overlapping poition of the roof member to maintain the same inplace.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS468,455 Giessmann Feb. 9, 1892 2,652,845 ONeill et al Sept. 22, 19532,689,812 Mollica et al. Sept. 21, 1954 2,718,014 Mizrach et al Sept.20, 1955 2,939,467 Meyer et al. lune 7, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 791,695Great Britain Mar. 12, 1958 793,984 Great Britain Apr. 23, 1958 801,950Great Britain Sept. 24, 1958

